Roasted Duck Breast with Spiced-Honey-Glaze

Indulge in a culinary masterpiece with this exquisite dish featuring succulent duck breast glazed with a mouthwatering licorice ginger honey sauce. Served alongside creamy mashed potatoes infused with aromatic pistou, this recipe is a symphony of flavors and textures that will elevate your dining experience to new heights. Join me in the kitchen as we explore the art of cooking duck breast to perfection and discover the secrets behind this gourmet delight. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds and impress your guests with this elegant and sophisticated dish.

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The art of cooking duck breast to perfection

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Pistou Mashed Potatoes

Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with water. Add a few pinches of salt, bring to boil and cook for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Meanwhile, quickly blanch arugula in boiling and salted water; cool greens in ice water. Drain and press greens between a few paper towels. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts for a few minutes over the stove. In the food processor, mix greens with garlic, parmesan, nuts and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Peel off potatoes while still warm. Smash and add heavy cream and season to taste with pistou. Readjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer mashed potatoes to a large shallow dish and pop in the oven 10 minutes before serving or mold out into small cakes using individual cake ring.

Preparing Duck Breast

Pat dry duck breasts and place uncovered, in the refrigerator and leave overnight to allow the skin/fat to dry out. This step will help develop a crispier skin. Take the duck out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Remove silver skin and any remaining bloody spots. With a sharp knife, make very shallows tight cuts across the surface of the duck. It helps to render fat more efficiently. Season with salt generously, especially the fat side.

Searing

Mix ground spices together and set aside. Place a large frying pan or sautoire over medium heat and when it begins to warm up, sear duck breast fat side down for 3 minutes. Flip eat and sear for 2 minutes, and transfer duck breast to a plate. Remove rendered fat from the pan; save the pan for the glaze.

Licorice-Spiced-Honey Glaze

Add water or stock to the pan along with honey and spices.. a little fresh rosemary sprig can be added too – stir it up and cook for a couple of minutes or until it comes to syrupy consistency; not too thick though. Season with salt in necessary. Transfer glaze to a gravy sauce boat.

Roasting Duck Breast

Put the seared duck breast back to the pan (fat side up), season with pepper and glaze. Put in the oven and finish cooking at 450ºF/220ºC for 8 minutes (baste meat after 5 min). The internal temperature should reach 132/135ºF (55/57ºC). Transfer the meat to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Deglaze pan with some water or stock, bring to a boil and save remaining glaze if desired.

Plating

Serve sliced duck on side of the reheated pistou mashed potatoes. Duck breast is best served when cut on a bias. Garnish with some fresh arugula tossed in olive oil or a couple of rosemary sprigs. Enjoy!